Aks Clothings- Timeless Pieces with a Modern Twist
Aks Clothings is a prominent Indian apparel firm that successfully blends heritage designs with contemporary fashion, consisting of eternally simple yet stylish pieces. Nidhi Yadav founded the apparel brand in 2014, which has since gained widespread reputation for its distinctive fusion elements and quality focus, becoming one-stop shopping destinations for contemporary ethnic wear.
Founding Vision and Growth
Nidhi Yadav’s romance with the fashion world was because she was intrigued by fashion brands and their background. After doing a course in Fashion Buying and Merchandising from the Polimoda Fashion School in Florence, Italy, she returned to India with a dream of reviving the ethnic fashion sector. With a starting capital of ₹3.5 lakh, Nidhi started Aks Clothings under Yuvdhi Apparels in May 2014. The company began with a small warehouse of below a thousand units with the dream of bringing comfort to daily ethnic wear for the new-generation women. Aks Clothings became popular by introducing 15-20 new designs fortnightly, a strategy adopted by global fashion giants such as Zara. It caused a sense of shortage and scarcity, persuading the clients to purchase in haste. Gradually, the company incrementally increased the varieties of products it sold to about 150 new designs per month, with a repeat customer base of 35%.
Product Range and Innovations
Aks Clothings is focused on women between 18 and 35 years, selling trendy ethnic wear at budget-friendly costs.
The product line ranges from work wear, party wear, sarees, kurtas, to daily wear with a sense of tradition. Being aware of the varied demands of contemporary women, the organization added a Maternity Range in their product offerings. The company introduced this specifically designed maternity cum nursing wear for maternity and nursing needs. It helps overcome mothers’ hesitation in purchasing maternity clothing for a temporary span by introducing multi-use patterns acceptable for both maternity and nursing purposes. Along with women’s wear, Aks Clothings forayed into the sector of children’s wear with two stand-alone ranges: the Mother-Daughter Range and the Siblings Collection. The Mother-Daughter Range provides the scope for mothers and daughters to share the same fashion sense, testifying to the company’s appreciation of the moment of bonding via clothes. The Siblings Collection opens a space for the boys’ ethnic wear with trendy items for younger boys.
Adaptation During the Pandemic
The pandemic of COVID-19 created a major challenge for the fashion sector, but Aks Clothings showed resilience and flexibility.
In the early stage of the pandemic, activities were temporarily suspended, and the staff worked remotely. To assist workers and artisans, the brand shifted to producing more than 1 lakh PPE kits by May 2020. The brand also manufactured 100% cotton masks that were reversible, reusable, and washable. The company also gave away over 3,000 PPE kits to sanitation workers, police personnel, and private security personnel, and distributed 50,000 masks in Jaipur and Delhi, helping the country combat the pandemic. Technology Integration and Sustainability Technology adoption has been a normal practice of Aks Clothings’ business. The company has made use of Computer-Aided Design (CAD) technology in pattern making and 3D sampling to enhance accuracy and reduce wastage during the manufacturing process. Aks Clothings-owned factories are technology-equipped, further enhancing the production process. This use of technology not only enhances efficiency but also supports green practice by limiting fabric wastage.
Market Presence and Expansion
Aks Clothings has developed a strong online platform, and the products are retailed on big e-commerce sites like Myntra, Jabong, Flipkart, Nykaa Fashion, and Ajio, along with its website. Offline shops of the company are also found in Nagaland, and it ships products to India, Singapore, and Malaysia, indicative of its increasing popularity globally.
Through the brand accelerator program of Myntra, Aks Clothings was also supported with branding and analytics, thereby accelerating its growth. The revenue graph of the brand has been dramatic, with the figures rising from ₹1.60 crore during 2014 to a gross revenue annual run rate of ₹100 crore during 2019 with a topline growth of 150-200%.
Empowering Women and Future Outlook
Women empowerment is a key component of Aks Clothings’ philosophy. Over 50% of the employees and approximately 60% of the suppliers for the business are women, and this indicates empowering female workers and businesswomen. Women empowerment is even carried out to the brand’s outsourcing companies, where almost half of the companies are owned by women.
In the near future, Aks Clothings will continue to strengthen its presence on top e-commerce websites and grow through the franchise route. Celebrity endorsements, like the recent one with Neha Dhupia for the Maternity & Nursing line, are on the cards of the brand to increase their product portfolio and grow the consumer base. The brand plans to transform into an ethnic one-stop shop for all needs, providing something to each member of the family.
Conclusion
Aks Clothings provides a perfect example of how a brand can pay tribute to the traditional Indian sense of design and still adopt the ethos of modernity. With the use of creative designs, technological incorporation, and an emphasis on empowering women, Aks Clothings provides ageless fashion pieces with a contemporary touch, attracting customers in pursuit of both fashion and substance. Since the brand continues strong and evolving to adjust to new market conditions, it is a sign of the power that is in combining tradition and innovation in fashion.
